Strolling through time in Strasbourg
Its turbulent past is best viewed on foot
Throughout two millenniums, life in Strasbourg has rarely been dull. Straddling today’s French-German border — and having spent 51 years between 1871 and 1944 under German rule — Strasbourg’s story is the epitome of creative turbulence.
Now home to some 276,000, this fascinating city, capital of the French province of Alsace, is a living museum of architectural styles, art, streets and canals.
In particular, its “Petite France” district is one of Europe’s bestpreserved medieval quarters.
Thanks to high-speed TGV train service, Strasbourg is just two hours and 20 minutes from Paris. And combined with other historic cities — particularly Colmar to the south and Nancy to the west — Strasbourg offers visitors a chance to savour a very different part of France.
Founded as a Roman camp, Strasbourg roared to prominence during the Middle Ages. Its most majestic remnant from the time is the soaring 142-metre (465-feet) tall cathedral erected between the 11th and 15th centuries.
The cathedral, completed in 1439, was Europe’s tallest structure until the 19th century.
The view from the top is said to be worth the arduous climb. Equally impressive are its graceful stoneworks, beautiful stained glass windows, and the multifaceted astronomical clock that draws massive crowds to view its noontime “Apostles Parade.”
Incidentally, the reason the church lacks a second tower was neither due to indifference nor lack of funds. Instead, early 20th-century studies indicated the weight of a companion tower would likely collapse the roof. That ended plans for a companion spire.
Nearby is the Maison de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, the former home of the stonemasons’ guild. Today it displays one of Europe’s most impressive collections of medieval statuary. Some were used to adorn the cathedral but were removed and replaced by copies to protect the originals from weather and pollution.
Steps away is the city’s history museum, housed in a former hall of the butcher’s guild. Filled with clever, interactive displays it offers a fine overview of Strasbourg’s history through the rise of Napoleon. A highlight is a building-by-building model/map of the city commissioned by King Louis XV in 1727. The model fills an entire room.
Also close by is the Palais Rohan, a former 18th-century residence of Strasbourg’s prince bishops. It’s home to three museums focusing on archeology, decorative arts and fine arts.
Beyond its churches and museums, Strasbourg is best experienced by walking. Narrow, often serpentine streets cover the old town, making it a veritable festival for photographers. The best of the best is the city’s Petite France district. Laced by canals, this territory — originally home to Strasbourg’s tanners, fishermen and millers — is filled with magnificent 16th-and-17th century half-timbered houses, almost all having been gloriously restored.
You can spend hours here, crossing canals, and walking along the Ill River. The Ill, very near the Rhine, was key to the city’s role as a trading hub.
Nearby are the city’s old ramparts, and the spacious museum of modern and contemporary art.
Back toward the city centre, if you continue past the heavily touristed cathedral area, there are less-crowded streets and byways with a delightful mix of half-timbered, medieval and renaissance dwellings, as well as several no- table Art Nouveau structures.
Do note, Strasbourg’s perimeter can be viewed by an hour-and-a-quarter long, flat-bottomed, covered or open, tour boat. En route you pass the old town, as well as the modern quarter where the European Parliament is headquartered. While the views are quite pleasant, lines for boarding and buying tickets can be long.
Strasbourg is a city that particularly appeals to those with a sense of history. Long a trading centre, and a free city under the aegis of the Holy Roman Empire, it did not officially become part of France until 1681 when armies of King Louis XIV appeared at its gates, threatening a siege. he city relented and Strasbourg officially became French.
It became German in 1871 after France lost the Franco-Prussian War, French again at the end of the First World War, and then German during Germany’s occupation of France in the Second World War. Freed in 1944 when Allied troops recaptured the city, Strasbourg was later chosen to be the seat of the European Parliament.
Strasbourg’s cuisine shows its closeness to Germany — heartier than most of France. Choucroute features huge volumes of sauerkraut with sausages and meats, while baeckeoffe boasts pork, beef lamb, onions and leeks smothered by mounds of sliced potatoes.
You can also dine on lighter fare. Flammerkueche or tarte flambe, is reminiscent of very thin-crusted pizza and includes white cheese, bacon and sliced onions, all cooked in a wood fired oven. It makes for a most satisfying lunch.